Adventures in Flapjackery - Part 1

Flapjacks.

Cheap, easy to make, versatile and (potentially) nutritious, flapjacks are often a go-to snack of choice, particularly for those engaging in sports.

They have the illusion of being a healthy treat - based on oats, it's easy to liken them to a bowl of porridge.
A traditional recipe for flapjacks, however, is loaded with added sugar and fat, and what seems to be a small snack can easily contribute significantly to your daily intake of calories and macronutrients.

Oats are an excellent source of slow-release carbohydrates, being low on the glycaemic index. They are also a useful source of protein and contain a form of soluble fibre that has been demonstrated to lower 'bad' LDL cholesterol.

So all in all, oats are good.

Back to flapjacks though, the added sugar and butter detract somewhat from the virtues of the oats. Whilst I very much hold the view that there is a place for everything in the diet (just so long as it's edible!) and moderation is key, I also enjoy a little bit of experimentation in the kitchen. A little bit of tweaking, some alternate ingredients, and flapjacks can be re-invented in a much more healthy fashion. And if you can make something healthier, then why not?

And to that end, I present some flapjack recipes.

The Recovery Flapjack

Containing a carbohydrate/protein ratio of 2 to 1, these flapjacks are ideal for a post-workout snack. The carbohydrates will replenish depleted glycogen stores, whilst the protein content will assist with muscle repair and synthesis.

They contain no added fats (the fat content comes from the peanut butter), and are much lower in added sugars than traditional flapjacks, as much of the sweetness comes from added fruit.

Allergy information:
This recipe contains peanuts, so is not suitable for nut allergy sufferers.
Use gluten-free oats to make them safe for coeliacs. 
Contains no egg or dairy.

Ingredients

175g crunchy peanut butter
5 tbsp golden syrup/honey
200g porridge oats
1 ripe banana, mashed
75g raisins

Method

1. Grease and line a 20cm square baking pan. Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4.
2. Place peanut butter and golden syrup/honey in a saucepan, and heat until melted.
3. Add the remaining ingredients and stir until combined.
4. Press into the prepared pan, and bake for 20-25 minutes (ovens will vary).
5. Leave to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before cutting into 12-16 pieces, depending on desired size.

Pizza Flapjack

A savoury option, because flapjacks don't have to be sweet.

It's a common complaint from people who take part in endurance sports - pretty much all of the shop-bought nutrition products are sweet. Gels, drinks, and bars tend to be based around glucose and are typically flavoured with chocolate, fruits or vanilla. Fair enough, but the sweetness can become cloying. For this reason people turn to alternate strategies, often opting for things like Marmite sandwiches or pork pies. This recipe is inspired by the good ol' pizza. In flapjack format.

This recipe is only marginally higher in fat than traditional flapjacks, but it is still worth bearing in mind that fats can cause gastric discomfort in susceptible people. Try in training and not for the first time on race day, if using as part of a fuelling strategy.

The carbohydrate/protein content is again a 2 to 1 ratio, so useful for recovery as well as general fuelling.
Nutritionally, the tomato puree, grated carrot and courgette provide useful vitamins, whilst the cheese content provides both protein and calcium.

Other vegetables - sweet potatoes, butternut squash, pumpkin, parsnip, etc. can be used as substitutes for the carrot or courgette if liked.

Allergy information:
Contains dairy and egg.
Can be made with gluten free oats. 
Contains no nuts. 

Ingredients

250g porridge oats
150g cheese
1 egg, beaten
1 carrot, grated
1 courgette, grated
50g butter
1 tbsp tomato puree
1 tsp mixed Italian herbs


Method


1. Grease and line a 20cm square baking pan. Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4.
2. Place butter, tomato puree, herbs and grated vegetables in a saucepan, and heat until melted.
3. Remove from the heat, and add the remaining ingredients - stir until combined.
4. Press into the prepared pan, and bake for 20-25 minutes (ovens will vary).
5. Leave to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before cutting into 12-16 pieces, depending on desired size.

Warning! Tastebuds will vary - but as far as I'm concerned, these are delicious!

Part 2 coming soon!

Breakfast - what to eat!

Following on from my last post exploring the importance of the pre-race breakfast, I was asked to provide some practical examples. 

So here we go!

First off, I'm basing this info on some very typical breakfast foods. Cereals, toast, bagels, etc. The examples are far from exhaustive and there are many other weird and wonderful foods you might eat. Just have a look at the food label to work out the carb content of your food of choice. 

I'll stick with the mundane though, as let's face it, it's more likely than not that you'll be reaching for the tried and tested favourites on race day. 

The idea is this - pick the base of your meal. Toast, a bowl of cereal, etc. Then add a topping of your choice - jam on your toast, honey in your porridge, and so on. Double up if you want to! Raisins and a banana together provide 44g of carbohydrates in a fairly modest amount of food. Finally, add some fluids. Milk on your cereal or as a drink, a glass of juice, or for a big hit of carbs, a milkshake. Mix and match as you choose!

Some examples...

Example 1. 

The amount of jam used in this example is fairly modest - at ~11g per tablespoon, spread it thickly to increase the  carb count! 

Example 2.

The portion of porridge included in this example is 30g, which is typically the amount found in a single sachet of microwaveable oats. The portion is fairly small, so eating two would be quite manageable for most people. Doubling the amount of oats and milk provides a further 31g of carbs, taking the total to 118g. The amount of honey can also be increased to raise the total carb content of the meal. Bung in a tablespoon of raisins and you've got another 21g of carbs. 

Example 3.

I've double the 'standard' portion of breakfast cereal here, taking it to a 60g serving. Most people would dish themselves up 60g and think it average, so all in all I'd consider this a fairly small breakfast. Add a banana and some juice, and you've got 120g of carbs. 

Example 4.

Again, this is a fairly small breakfast, but it demonstrates how much you can make of liquid carbs if you so wish. The Nutella could be spread more thickly to increase the carb content, and is quite nice with a sliced banana on top. So I'm told... 



So let's work through a couple of case studies.

This is Barbara. She's a runner. She weighs 10 stones (63.5kg). 
It is recommended that Barbara eat 2-4g of carbohydrates per kilogram  of body weight: 
63.5 x 2 = 127g
63.5 x 4 = 254g
Therefore Barbara should aim to eat between 127-254g of carbs at breakfast. On race day, Barbara eats 2 hours before her race.
She might choose:
Two slices of toast (42g) spread with 1 tbsp honey per slice (26g) and a sliced banana (23g). With this she has a large glass (300ml) of pineapple juice (38g). This will provide 129g of carbs. And all in a fairly modest breakfast. 
      


This is Tom. He is a triathlete. He weighs 14 stones (89kg). 
89 x 2 = 178g
89 x 4 = 356g
Tom should be aiming to eat between 178 - 356g of carbs at his 
pre-race breakfast.
On race day Tom starts breakfast 4 hours before his race. He might choose to eat:
A large bowl of porridge (50g) made with 250ml milk (12g). He adds two tablespoons of raisins (42g) and a large sliced banana (32g). He drizzles over a tablespoon of honey (13g) and has a large glass (300ml) of orange juice (30g). A couple of hours later, Tom eats a bagel (42g) spread with peanut butter (3g) and drinks a 380ml Lucozade (64g) on the way to the race. This provides 288g of carbs.


So there we have it! 

What do you have for breakfast? Leave a comment and let's get some discussion going!